System and use method for untethered trap brought to surface by remote control

ABSTRACT

The invention is a system comprising a wire cage crustacean trap coupled to a remotely controlled subsystem operative to receive a control-coded acoustic signal and thereupon open an electrically controlled pneumatic valve allowing gas under pressure to be conveyed to a deflated bladder, such that the bladder inflates and brings the system to the surface. Backup systems will cause the valve to open when a preprogrammed time duration has elapsed and/or when a water leak is detected inside the remotely controlled subsystems water-tight container.

This application incorporates by reference application Ser. No. 16/159,710. This application discloses and claims only subject matter disclosed in prior application Ser. No. 16/159,711, filed 14 Oct. 2018, and claims only subject matter directed to an invention that is independent and distinct from that claimed in the prior application.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This is a system for catching bottom dwelling sea creatures and bringing them to the surface without the use of tether lines.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Bottom dwelling sea creatures, such as crabs and lobsters, are typically captured with baited traps that capture them alive and keep them alive until retrieved. These traps are usually tethered to a buoy so that the user can locate and retrieve them.

Should the tether break or become dislodged, the trap cannot be retrieved. Moreover, the tether extending from seafloor to surface may ensnare or entangle other sea life, and may be snagged by vessels that pass over the buoy inadvertently.

If one could invent a way to bring a fishing trap to the surface without using a tether, it would reduce the amount of sea life destruction that is an unintended consequence of tethered trap use, and could reduce the incidence of tether buoys and lines being caught in propellers of vessels that pass above them. It could also result in a significant reduction in undersea debris as tethered traps that break free are responsible for a significant portion of such debris.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION

The invention herein disclosed and claimed is a crustacean trap outfitted with a remotely controlled subsystem operative to open a valve allowing compressed gas to inflate a bladder enabling the system to float to the surface and be retrieved.

The remotely controlled subsystem comprises an electrically controlled valve, and an acoustic/electronic subsystem that captures sound patterns, converts same to analog electrical signals, converts the analog signals into equivalent digital sequences, then compares those digital sequence to a predetermined and preprogrammed control word sequence.

If the captured sound pattern, once digitized, matches the aforementioned code word, the electrically controlled valve opens and allows gas under pressure to flow into a deflated bladder that then fills until the pressure reaches some predetermined value and floats the crustacean trap to the surface.

Once on the surface, a brightly colored bladder can be seen and the trap and remotely controlled subsystem can be retrieved. The remotely controlled subsystem could also be comprised of a GPS receiver and short-range wireless transmitter. The GPS receiver could pinpoint its location and the wireless transmitter could be used to convey the coordinates to a retrieval vessel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts one embodiment where the crustacean trap is sitting on the sea floor and the flotation bladder is deflated. A surface platform or vessel sends a sound pattern below the surface and it is picked up by the remotely controlled subsystem.

FIG. 2 depicts the system of FIG. 1 where it has gotten a sound pattern that matches its preprogrammed code word sequence. The valve then opens, filling the bladder with gas, and the system is floated off the sea floor toward the surface.

FIG. 3 depicts an embodiment of the remotely controlled subsystem.

FIG. 4 depicts the flow of a use method based on capturing and comparing impinging sound patterns.

FIG. 5 depicts a fail-safe backup use method that causes the subsystem to inflate the bladder when an electronic timer, with a predetermined time duration, times out.

FIG. 6 depicts another fail-safe backup use method that causes the subsystem to inflate the bladder when a sensor detects the presence of a water leak in the subsystem's water-tight container.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The crustacean trap with a sound-triggered remotely controlled surfacing subsystem comprises the invention herein disclosed. It is a way of ensuring that a crustacean trap can be brought to the surface without need of a tether and tethering buoy. Consequently, it can avoid unintended harm to other sea life and inadvertent snagging to vessels that pass above the trap's buoy and tether.

As shown in FIG. 1, the trap (101) is attached to the remotely controlled subsystem (103) with an attachment fixture (102) that allows for mutual freedom of motion. Attached to the remotely controlled subsystem is a bottle of gas under pressure (108) and a deflated bladder (104). When either a surface platform (105) or vessel (106) transmits a sound pattern (107), the remotely controlled subsystem is operative to detect impinging sound energy and convert same to an analog electrical signal. That signal is then converted to an equivalent digital sequence which can be compared to a preprogrammed digital control word sequence. In other words, if the digitized sound pattern matches the digital code word, the remotely controlled subsystem is operative to respond to that match by causing the bladder to inflate and lift the trap off the sea floor and bring it to the surface.

In FIG. 2, the system depicted in system 1 receives a matching sound pattern and the bladder (104) inflates creating positive buoyancy and floats the system toward the surface.

FIG. 3 provides more details about the remotely controlled subsystem. An electrically controlled valve (306) enables the flow of pressurized gas from a bottle (108) to a receptacle (104). The gas passes from the bottle to one valve port (an input port) through a tube (309). If the valve is opened, pressurized gas passes through the valve's output port through tube (310) to the receptacle (104). As shown standard pneumatic interfaces (308) may be used to connect the bottle and receptacle to the tubes leading to and from the valve. A direct-current (DC) voltage source (302) provides the electrical energy for the valve and the other subsystems shown. That electrical power is conveyed conductively over path 311 and can be switched on or off using switch 317. One of more hydrophone devices (303) are operative to allow a waterproof diaphragm structure (313) to apply pressure to piezo-electric elements (303) such that sounds that impinge on the diaphragm result in analog electrical signal outputs from the one or more hydrophones. Those analog electrical signals, whose time varying characteristics represent the frequencies and magnitudes of sound energy impinging on the diaphragms, are conveyed to a microcontroller processing unit (304) via conductive paths (305). The microcontrolled processing unit, herein referred to as MCU, comprises an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), data memory, program memory, and input-output functional blocks (not shown). The sound energy analog signals conveyed over paths 305 are converted to equivalent digital signal sequences by the MCU. Under the control of one or more programs, the MCU stores in data memory successive digital signals captured, then compares each to a predetermined digital control word. If there is a match, the MCU generates a direct-current control signal and conveys it to the valve over path 312. That signal causes the valve to open. As a security backup, a count-down timer (315) is initialized at system power up and begins counting down. If no acoustic control signal has been received before the counter counts down fully, the counter will generate a direct-current control signal which is conveyed to the valve via path 316. For additional system protection, a sensor (318) included inside the container is operative to detect any water leakage, and if a leak is detected, the sensor can convey a control signal, via path 319, to the valve to open it, inflate a bladder, and bring the system to the surface.

To reiterate, prior to allowing the trap to sink from the surface to the sea floor, the remotely controlled subsystem is activated using the switch, then the system is allowed to descend. After activation, the count-down timer begins counting down from a preprogrammed value representing a maximum submersion duration. While the counter is counting down, but has not yet reached zero, should the remotely controlled subsystem receive sound patterns whose digital signature matches a preprogrammed control word, the subsystem opens its valve subsystem allowing compressed gas to inflate the bladder. Should no matching sound system be detected, once the counter hits zero, it will send a control signal to the valve, inflating the bladder. At any time after submersion, if a sensor detects any water leakage, it will send a control signal to the valve, inflating the bladder. When the bladder is inflated, whether as a result of a sound pattern received, maximum submersion duration having been reached, or water leakage detected, the inflated bladder will bring the trap to the surface for retrieval.

FIG. 4 shows a flow diagram of a use method for acoustic control. The hydrophones receive sound energy while the system is submerged (401). The MCU samples and converts sound energy into digital signal formats (402). The MCU then compares digital signals stored in data memory to a trigger word stored in program memory (403).

If there is a match, the MCU generates a direct-current electrical signal (405) which causes the valve to change to open (206).

FIG. 5 illustrates a failsafe use method whereby at power up the count-down timer is started and a predetermined time begins to count down to zero (501). If the timer has not yet counted down to zero, it continues to count down. However, if it has reached zero, the count-down timer generates a DC voltage signal (502) and conveys it to the valve (503), which then opens (304).

FIG. 6 illustrates a safety subsystem whereby a water leakage sensor is operative to detect any water leakage (601), and if a leak is detected (602) the sensor conveys a “valve open” control signal (603) to the valve, which opens the valve (604), to inflate a bladder and bring the leaking system to the surface.

The hydrophone diaphragms are located on the wall of the container (301) such that sound traveling through the water can impinge on them and cause the diaphragms to exert pressure on the piezo-electric elements. The diaphragms do not allow water to pass through them and are mounted on the wall so as to prevent water leakage inside the container at or above the maximum depth.

The switch 317 is also mounted on the wall of the container (301) but is also sealed against water leakage into the switch or the container. For example, the switch could be a push-button type where the button extends through the wall but is inside of a flexible cup that serves as a water seal while allowing the button to be depressed.

It should be noted that in addition to the timer and leak-detection sensor, the MCU could be programmed to periodically measure the voltage level of the DC voltage source subsystem and if the level drops below some predetermined value, the MCU could send its first valve control signal to initiate inflation and system ascendance to the surface.

The structures and functions of the invention constituents are disclosed, and their packaging is illustrated using exemplary figures and descriptions. Other packaging arrangements could also be implemented, so these examples and exemplary drawings should not be read as limiting the implementation or scope of the invention. The novelty is by virtue of remote control of system ascendance from sea floor to surface using acoustic sound patterns to control it. The transducers disclosed are described as hydrophones. This should be interpreted broadly to mean any subsystem operative to convert submarine sound energy into analog electrical signals. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of use claim comprising: connecting valve output port to inflatable buoyancy bladder; allowing attached wire-cage trap and wire-cage enclosure to submerge; sending a sound signal, underwater, that is an encoded control signal; receiving said encoded control signal by a sound-to-electric transducer; decoding said encoded control signal by a microcontrolled processing unit contained within said valve; determining which response control signal to convey to electrically controlled valve; and conveying said response signal to said electrically controlled valve.
 2. A method as in claim 1 further comprising: conveying said response signal only to said electrically controlled valve wherein said response signal comprises identification data that matches said electrically controlled valve's identification data. 